2020 Circle Ten Council COVID-19 Plan Overview Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America Version 8.2 6/5/2020 The leadership of the Circle Ten Council has the health and safety of all Scouts, their families, staff, and general public as its highest priority and concern. This document was created to share with our local health departments the preparations and intentions Circle Ten Council has while operating our summer camps. Circle Ten Council will meet or exceed the standards set forth in the announcements made on the minimum health protocols for resident and overnight camps set by the State of Texas on May 18, 2020. The following information has helped form the planning and implementation of enhanced procedures in Circle Ten Council camps. 1 In addition to the CDC information provided above, Circle Ten Council completes a rigorous national accreditation process each year (a summary of those topics is provided in the Appendix of this document). The following provides background to the BSA national standards. BACKGROUND ON NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR CIRCLE TEN CAMPS The BSA national camp standards are established to: 1. Promote the health, safety, and well-being of every camper, leader, visitor, and staff member while participating in a BSA-accredited camp. 2. Guide councils so that each camper and leader obtains a quality program consistent with the BSA brand. The Circle Ten Council is responsible for maintaining the BSA national camp standards. The national camp standards are the foundation of the National Camp Accreditation Program, which assesses council and camp conformance with the requirements of the national camp standards. Assessment and Accreditation Each year, a national camp assessment team (for long-term camps and challenge/climbing courses and associated camp properties) or the council self-assessment team (for day camps, family camps, and camp properties) will visit the camp property or camp to assess whether it qualifies for accreditation. If the camp assessment team finds that the camp property or camp complies with the standards and Authorization to Operate and is appropriately implementing the continuous camp improvement program, it will confirm the camp property’s or camp’s accredited status. If there are issues, the team will work with the council to address them and implement appropriate measures for correction. Circle Ten Council annually complies with the national standards. (See Appendix for a list of standards) National Camp Standards Link https://i9peu1ikn3a16vg4e45rqi17-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020-NCAP-Standards-430-056-2.pdf 2 Beyond the standards, Circle Ten plans to implement practices and precautions to help mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 which are included in the following pages. We will be monitoring circumstances and adhering to guidance from the CDC, our departments of health, the office of the Governor, and other experts to determine whether programs need to be postponed or adjusted. We will comply with the State of Texas protocols outlined in the May 18, 2020 announcement by the governor. PRE-OPENING PROCEDURES / UPDATES Following are those items related to the COVID-19 preparations Circle Ten Council is undertaking to provide a safe, clean, and healthy outdoor experience for its participants. Please know that we are monitoring developments regarding COVID-19 both locally, at the state level, and through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). • With just over 3,000 Cub Scout youth attending our camps; Cub Scout day camp is the single largest camping operation within the Circle Ten Council. These camps take place in various locations across our council; often at local parks, churches, and other community locations. With the availability of these locations in question this year and lack of being able to ensure proper safety, the Circle Ten Council has implemented an alternative day camp plan. This plan will involve our Cub Scouts and their families doing a fun and engaging at-home day camp experience beginning May 15th - a “virtual day camp experience”. When the at-home experience is complete, the Cub Scout’s parent/guardian will then fill out an online form for that Cub Scout to receive his/her patch. In addition, the Cub Scout will be able to sign-up for several fun-filled one-day experiences in the last two weeks of June or several Saturdays in August to have an in-camp experience at one of our camps. • Scouts BSA-Cub/Webelos resident camp (commonly referred to as summer camp) may have numbers of participants purposely reduced based on local, state, and federal guidelines in order to ensure that all youth, adults, and staff have a safe and fun camping experience. Other changes may be necessary to our 2020 resident/summer camping program and we will communicate those following State of Texas announcements. • A COVID-19 “At-Risk” Camp Participant Statement and Pre-Event Medical Screening Checklist will be provided to each participant prior to camp and used to prepare attendees for their time at camp. (See Appendix for both documents.) The processes and safety measures outlined in the following pages will be enforced and monitored throughout the summer camping season and will be adapted to meet all state and local requirements as needed. If at any point it is deemed “not safe” or not appropriate to host Scout camp, we will modify our planning and give notice as soon as possible to the participants and groups scheduled to attend. 3 OPENING CIRCLE TEN COUNCIL SUMMER CAMPS Circle Ten Council is committed to maintaining and safe and healthy Scouting environment. Our dedication to the safety of our Scouts, leaders, and staff is paramount as we prepare to open summer activities. Each family and person has the liberty to determine what level of summer activity they are comfortable with. This is a difficult time for everyone. Some believe that the nation is moving too fast. Others believe too slow. Some are angry. Some are scared. Please remember that a Scout is kind, friendly, and courteous. Please be respectful of others’ opinions and decisions. Below is information that may help you with your summer acitivity decisions (see APPENDIX for FAQ’s): With more data the state has made the decision to slowly open businesses that have been closed; • Restaurants, retail stores, malls and movie theaters reopen at 25% capacity – May 1st • Hair, nail and tanning salons open with restrictions – May 8th • Fitness facilities and non-essential offices open with restrictions – May 18th • Governor Abbott announces Phase 2 openings – May 18th o Childcare centers (including Boys & Girls Clubs/YMCA), massage and personal- care services, youth clubs, youth sports – May 18th o Restaurants increase to 50% capacity; bars, bowling alleys, zoos – May 22nd o Sports camps, Little League, all summer camps (including Scouting) – May 31st • Governor Abbott announces Phase 3 openings – June 1st o Greater capacities are allowed in businesses, clubs, schools, restaurants o Professional and college sports are allowed to open training camps o Sporting events are allowed to happen while following established guidelines The governor of the State of Texas, Greg Abbott, announced on May 18th that youth camps and sports activities can begin to take place effective May 31st. As a result, Circle Ten Council has determined it will hold our Cub Scout and Webelos resident camps and our Scouts BSA summer camps as scheduled. Our Cub Scout day camps will remain virtual. PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT CAMP Camp Readiness Camps in Circle Ten Council will go through typical preparations for the summer season. Unlike previous years, there will be additional action items to complete before and during camp operations. Below are the additional items Circle Ten Council will be doing in 2020 to prepare (this list is not all-inclusive and is dynamic depending on state and local guidelines). 4 Enhanced Cleaning All camping facilities used during each session/week of camp will receive an extensive cleaning from our camp staff and adult volunteers. Also, prior to the next session/week of camp. Additional Cleaning Procedures Cleaning procedure(s) (based on current local and state recommendations) have been developed and will be used at all camps. Circle Ten Council has several camps, not all camps have the same facilities and procedures. As such, each camp will clean and sanitize as necessary to meet health guidelines appropriate to each camp. Below are the areas identified for enhanced cleaning. For All Camps o Pools – Cleaning of changing rooms after each rotation, class, etc. o Dining Hall – Clean table surfaces, serving surfaces, doors, restrooms at dining hall, etc. after each meal rotation. o Program Areas o Cleaning of program implementation equipment (tools, firearms, etc.) after each rotation, class, etc. o Shelters/picnic areas in program areas will be thoroughly cleaned by staff and/or adult volunteers daily. o Shelters/Picnic Areas in Campsite • Camp staff will inspect daily to ensure that local groups clean shelter/picnic areas in campsites at least once daily (extra cleaning supplies will be issued to local groups and can be augmented with additional approved materials brought to camp by adult leaders) (See Appendix for approved list of materials) • Shelters/picnic areas in campsites will be thoroughly cleaned by staff and/or adult volunteers in between sessions/weeks. o Restrooms • Camp staff will perform daily inspections to ensure that restrooms located in group sites are cleaned daily (extra cleaning supplies will be issued to local groups and can be augmented with additional approved materials brought to camp by adult leaders) (See Appendix for approved list of materials) • Restrooms in campsites will be thoroughly cleaned by staff and/or adult volunteers in between sessions/weeks. o Staff Quarters • Staff members will be expected to clean their own specific living area at least daily (extra cleaning supplies will be issued to staff and can be augmented with additional approved materials brought to camp by adult leaders) (See Appendix for approved list of materials) • Camp management will inspect to ensure that all staff-specific quarters, housing, restrooms, etc.